James Stewart, more affectionately known as “Jimmy” to his fans, was an Oscar-winning performer who became famous for his polite, gentle screen persona, often playing the aww-shucks boy next door. Yet he also showed his range with a series of performances that found him playing against type. Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1908, Stewart earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for playing an idealistic young senator in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), which firmly established him as the patron saint of the common man. He clinched his one and only victory the very next year for “The Philadelphia Story” (1940), playing a tabloid reporter who stumbles into the marital strife of a high society couple (Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant).
After serving in WWII, Stewart returned home to play George Bailey, a businessman contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve,...
Born in 1908, Stewart earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for playing an idealistic young senator in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), which firmly established him as the patron saint of the common man. He clinched his one and only victory the very next year for “The Philadelphia Story” (1940), playing a tabloid reporter who stumbles into the marital strife of a high society couple (Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant).
After serving in WWII, Stewart returned home to play George Bailey, a businessman contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Criterion Channel’s July 2021 Lineup Includes Wong Kar Wai, Neo-Noir, Art-House Animation & More
The July lineup at The Criterion Channel has been revealed, most notably featuring the new Wong Kar Wai restorations from the recent box set release, including As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and his shorts Hua yang de nian hua and The Hand.
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
- 6/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
By Lee Peiffer
Actor John Saxon, who specialized in playing celluloid tough guys, has died from pneumonia at age 83. Saxon grew up on the (then) mean streets of his native Brooklyn and became a model at age 17. He segued into feature films and television, winning acclaim for his performances. Saxon had the ability to use his charisma and good looks to portray both heroes and villains on screen, and did both convincingly. Major stardom never materialized for him but he had a long career as a popular supporting actor. Among his more notable films: "The Reluctant Debutante", "War Hunt", "The Electric Horseman", "The Unforgiven", "Joe Kidd", the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" and two sequels, "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Black Christmas", "Wrong is Right", "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" and "Battle Beyond the Stars". One of his most popular films was "Enter the Dragon", the final movie of Bruce Lee.
Actor John Saxon, who specialized in playing celluloid tough guys, has died from pneumonia at age 83. Saxon grew up on the (then) mean streets of his native Brooklyn and became a model at age 17. He segued into feature films and television, winning acclaim for his performances. Saxon had the ability to use his charisma and good looks to portray both heroes and villains on screen, and did both convincingly. Major stardom never materialized for him but he had a long career as a popular supporting actor. Among his more notable films: "The Reluctant Debutante", "War Hunt", "The Electric Horseman", "The Unforgiven", "Joe Kidd", the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" and two sequels, "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Black Christmas", "Wrong is Right", "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" and "Battle Beyond the Stars". One of his most popular films was "Enter the Dragon", the final movie of Bruce Lee.
- 7/27/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Museum of the Moving Image
A particularly outstanding weekend for “See It Big! Action” includes Die Hard on Friday, Big Trouble in Little China and Face/Off on Saturday, and Police Story this Sunday.
A series showcasing Diana Ross runs this weekend.
A spotlight on Mexico’s queer scene is underway.
Metrograph
A Jim Jarmusch series continues.
Museum of the Moving Image
A particularly outstanding weekend for “See It Big! Action” includes Die Hard on Friday, Big Trouble in Little China and Face/Off on Saturday, and Police Story this Sunday.
A series showcasing Diana Ross runs this weekend.
A spotlight on Mexico’s queer scene is underway.
Metrograph
A Jim Jarmusch series continues.
- 6/14/2019
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
In August 1983, Ronald Reagan was president, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police was in the middle of an eight-week run as the #1 single, Ivanka Trump wasn’t quite two years old, and few people were aware of the Church of Scientology. And “Risky Business,” the first movie to star Tom Cruise, became a surprise hit.
34 years later, Cruise is at a different kind of crossroads at the box office. He’s been charged with rebooting Universal’s Mummy franchise, which will launch the studio’s “Dark Universe” story world. And while “The Mummy” has already opened strongly in its first date (South Korea), projections here are considerably less kind. Reviews have ranged from disappointing to incendiary, and “Wonder Woman” is expected to soundly beat the film in its opening weekend.
Read More: Review: ‘The Mummy’ Is The Worst Tom Cruise Movie Ever
While “The Mummy” won’t be a career highlight,...
34 years later, Cruise is at a different kind of crossroads at the box office. He’s been charged with rebooting Universal’s Mummy franchise, which will launch the studio’s “Dark Universe” story world. And while “The Mummy” has already opened strongly in its first date (South Korea), projections here are considerably less kind. Reviews have ranged from disappointing to incendiary, and “Wonder Woman” is expected to soundly beat the film in its opening weekend.
Read More: Review: ‘The Mummy’ Is The Worst Tom Cruise Movie Ever
While “The Mummy” won’t be a career highlight,...
- 6/8/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
"Maureen O’Hara, the Irish beauty whose striking red hair, crystal-green eyes and porcelain skin was so dazzling on the silver screen that she was dubbed 'The Queen of Technicolor,' has died." She was 95. The Hollywood Reporter's Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge note that she "played the feisty wife to onscreen husband John Wayne in five films—three of them directed by John Ford." Along with her role in The Quiet Man, she "may be best remembered as the cynical working mother to a young Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street," notes Adam Bernstein in the Washington Post. "Ms. O’Hara continued to play strong spouse roles opposite major leading men of the day, including James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, 1962) and Henry Fonda (Spencer’s Mountain, 1963)." We're collecting remembrances. » - David Hudson...
- 10/24/2015
- Keyframe
"Maureen O’Hara, the Irish beauty whose striking red hair, crystal-green eyes and porcelain skin was so dazzling on the silver screen that she was dubbed 'The Queen of Technicolor,' has died." She was 95. The Hollywood Reporter's Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge note that she "played the feisty wife to onscreen husband John Wayne in five films—three of them directed by John Ford." Along with her role in The Quiet Man, she "may be best remembered as the cynical working mother to a young Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street," notes Adam Bernstein in the Washington Post. "Ms. O’Hara continued to play strong spouse roles opposite major leading men of the day, including James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, 1962) and Henry Fonda (Spencer’s Mountain, 1963)." We're collecting remembrances. » - David Hudson...
- 10/24/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
By Doug Oswald
“Fraulein” begins with a close-up shot of the spires of a Gothic cathedral, organ music playing on the soundtrack and air-raid sirens blaring as a statement appears on screen: “Cologne on the Rhine during the last weeks of World War II.” The scene moves down to street level as German civilians and soldiers run for bomb shelters as destruction rains down on them. An American prisoner of war makes his escape during the chaos and he stumbles upon the home of a college professor and his daughter.
Mel Ferrer plays the American Pow, Captain Foster MacLain. He meets the Fraulein of the movie, Erika Angermann, played by Dana Wynter. She helps him evade capture during a search of her father’s home. We learn about a fiancé she has not seen in over two years. She learns later from a letter that he has been wounded and is in a hospital.
“Fraulein” begins with a close-up shot of the spires of a Gothic cathedral, organ music playing on the soundtrack and air-raid sirens blaring as a statement appears on screen: “Cologne on the Rhine during the last weeks of World War II.” The scene moves down to street level as German civilians and soldiers run for bomb shelters as destruction rains down on them. An American prisoner of war makes his escape during the chaos and he stumbles upon the home of a college professor and his daughter.
Mel Ferrer plays the American Pow, Captain Foster MacLain. He meets the Fraulein of the movie, Erika Angermann, played by Dana Wynter. She helps him evade capture during a search of her father’s home. We learn about a fiancé she has not seen in over two years. She learns later from a letter that he has been wounded and is in a hospital.
- 2/2/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-ray Release Date: Dec. 2, 2014
Price: Blu-ray $19.99
Studio: Sony
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, one of the crown jewels in the Columbia Pictures catalog, celebrates its 75th anniversary with its Blu-ray debut.
James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Directed by Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life) and starring James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation), the classic drana concerns an idealistic, newly-appointed senator (Stewart) who heads to Washington, where he single-handedly battles ruthless politicians out to destroy him. And although his plans promptly collide with political corruption, he doesn’t back down.
Originally released in 1939, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning one for Best Writing (Original Story).
The Blu-ray, digitally restored & mastered in 4K, is presented in collectible Digibook packaging, featuring photos and a new essay by film historian Jeremy Arnold. Bonus content includes commentary by Frank Capra Jr., the original theatrical trailer, a rare international...
Price: Blu-ray $19.99
Studio: Sony
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, one of the crown jewels in the Columbia Pictures catalog, celebrates its 75th anniversary with its Blu-ray debut.
James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Directed by Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life) and starring James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation), the classic drana concerns an idealistic, newly-appointed senator (Stewart) who heads to Washington, where he single-handedly battles ruthless politicians out to destroy him. And although his plans promptly collide with political corruption, he doesn’t back down.
Originally released in 1939, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning one for Best Writing (Original Story).
The Blu-ray, digitally restored & mastered in 4K, is presented in collectible Digibook packaging, featuring photos and a new essay by film historian Jeremy Arnold. Bonus content includes commentary by Frank Capra Jr., the original theatrical trailer, a rare international...
- 9/5/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Blu-ray Release Date: June 10, 2014
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
James Stewart is The Man from Laramie.
Thanks to Twilight Time, the well-respected 1955 western The Man From Laramie is on Blu-ray.
Directed by Anthony Mann (Strangers in the Night), the movie stars James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation) in the last of his five-film collaboration with Mann. Here, Stewart is a man with an agenda, determined to avenge the death of his brother and stumbling into a hornet’s nest of family dysfunction when he encounters the troubled Waggoman clan, New Mexico ranchers who make the tale of King Lear look like a children’s story.
Written by Philip Yordan and Frank Burt and photographed by Charles Lang, The Man from Laramie comes to Blu-ray with a new 4k transfer, remastered from the original negative, presenting the film in a magnificent 2.55 widescreen image for the first time since its initial release in theaters.
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
James Stewart is The Man from Laramie.
Thanks to Twilight Time, the well-respected 1955 western The Man From Laramie is on Blu-ray.
Directed by Anthony Mann (Strangers in the Night), the movie stars James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation) in the last of his five-film collaboration with Mann. Here, Stewart is a man with an agenda, determined to avenge the death of his brother and stumbling into a hornet’s nest of family dysfunction when he encounters the troubled Waggoman clan, New Mexico ranchers who make the tale of King Lear look like a children’s story.
Written by Philip Yordan and Frank Burt and photographed by Charles Lang, The Man from Laramie comes to Blu-ray with a new 4k transfer, remastered from the original negative, presenting the film in a magnificent 2.55 widescreen image for the first time since its initial release in theaters.
- 6/13/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Blu-ray Release Date: May 13, 2014
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
Richard Widmark (l.) and James Stewart in Two Rode Together
The 1961 Western Two Rode Together directed by John Ford (Drums Along the Mohawk) and starring James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation) and Richard Widmark (Twilight’s Last Gleaming) makes its Blu-ray debut from Twilight Time next month!
Two Rode Together offers the great Stewart’s first appearance in a film from the legendary Ford (the pair would later go on to the likes of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance). The result is a tough revisionist Western about a cynical frontier marshal (Stewart) who teams with a cavalry officer (Widmark) to rescue a group of long-held white captives from a band of redoubtable Comanche.
Featuring a score by George Duning, the movie also stars Shirley Jones, Linda Cristal and Andy Devine.
As Twilight Time prints up only 3,000 copies of each title,...
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
Richard Widmark (l.) and James Stewart in Two Rode Together
The 1961 Western Two Rode Together directed by John Ford (Drums Along the Mohawk) and starring James Stewart (Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation) and Richard Widmark (Twilight’s Last Gleaming) makes its Blu-ray debut from Twilight Time next month!
Two Rode Together offers the great Stewart’s first appearance in a film from the legendary Ford (the pair would later go on to the likes of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance). The result is a tough revisionist Western about a cynical frontier marshal (Stewart) who teams with a cavalry officer (Widmark) to rescue a group of long-held white captives from a band of redoubtable Comanche.
Featuring a score by George Duning, the movie also stars Shirley Jones, Linda Cristal and Andy Devine.
As Twilight Time prints up only 3,000 copies of each title,...
- 4/21/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Blu-ray Release Date: April 8, 2014
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara go on holiday in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.
James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life), Maureen O’Hara (Miracle on 34th Street), John Saxon and Fabian star in the 1962 family comedy film Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.
Initially a seemingly light-hearted comedy, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation reveals an intriguing darker side in its tale of a family get-together gone awry. Little kids are monstrous, older kids suffer from self-esteem problems, grown-up kids have marital difficulties of distressingly diverse natures—and all are presided over by a decidedly grumpy (if great) James Stewart, waging the familial wars with more idealistic helpmate O’Hara at his side.
Directed and written by a pair of Hollywood veterans (Henry Koster and Nunnally Johnson, respectively), the quirky movie features a standout score by the superb Henry Mancini, available on...
Price: Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Twilight Time
James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara go on holiday in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.
James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life), Maureen O’Hara (Miracle on 34th Street), John Saxon and Fabian star in the 1962 family comedy film Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.
Initially a seemingly light-hearted comedy, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation reveals an intriguing darker side in its tale of a family get-together gone awry. Little kids are monstrous, older kids suffer from self-esteem problems, grown-up kids have marital difficulties of distressingly diverse natures—and all are presided over by a decidedly grumpy (if great) James Stewart, waging the familial wars with more idealistic helpmate O’Hara at his side.
Directed and written by a pair of Hollywood veterans (Henry Koster and Nunnally Johnson, respectively), the quirky movie features a standout score by the superb Henry Mancini, available on...
- 3/31/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Mill on the Doss: Thurber’s Arbitrary Comedy Rests on Laurels of Cast Charm
Filmmaker Rawson Marshall Thurber, whose directorial debut was the Ben Stiller goof-fest Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) returns to the broad humor of star studded formulaic mainstream comedy with We’re the Millers, which, to be fair, has more funny moments than it’s unappealing marketing campaign would lead you to believe. But even with a handful of chuckles, Thurber, who swerved into indie territory with a stagnant 2008 adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, along with his four screenwriters, creates yet another strained, contrived cinematic entry, with an ever increasingly ludicrous premise bludgeoned mercilessly into the requisite formula of Hollywood comedy.
Small time Denver drug dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) lives the carefree life of a bachelor until an unlucky scenario outside his apartment complex sees him getting robbed of all his goods and hard cash.
Filmmaker Rawson Marshall Thurber, whose directorial debut was the Ben Stiller goof-fest Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) returns to the broad humor of star studded formulaic mainstream comedy with We’re the Millers, which, to be fair, has more funny moments than it’s unappealing marketing campaign would lead you to believe. But even with a handful of chuckles, Thurber, who swerved into indie territory with a stagnant 2008 adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, along with his four screenwriters, creates yet another strained, contrived cinematic entry, with an ever increasingly ludicrous premise bludgeoned mercilessly into the requisite formula of Hollywood comedy.
Small time Denver drug dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) lives the carefree life of a bachelor until an unlucky scenario outside his apartment complex sees him getting robbed of all his goods and hard cash.
- 8/8/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.